You Belong With Me
by Shadowstalker92
Summary: Adam was lonely. He spent his time working or writing. One day, things changed when he came across a Typhlosion in need. Now he has a new friend. But as their friendship grows so do the feelings they have for each other. Rated MA...May contain lemon later.
1. Ch 1: The Beaten and The Lonely

_**Chapter One: The Beaten and the Lonely**_

Adam slowly walked back from the store. His mom had asked for him to go pick up a few things. He walked alone singing quietly in his head. He was a young man of only nineteen years. He wore a pair of blue jeans and a light jacket. A bag of groceries was swinging in one hand. Suddenly, a commotion from down an alleyway caught his attention. It's sounded like an argument. Adam thought to leave it be, after all…it really didn't concern him. Then, it sounded like things got escalated. Adam headed down the alleyway. If someone was in trouble, he couldn't just sit back and let it happen. As he approached the commotion, the voice grew louder.

"You're so useless!" The voice called. "Just weak and pathetic. I don't even know why I bother dragging you around with me. You make me look like a failure with you lack of skill and power!"

As Adam turned the corner; he saw a young man not much older than him standing over a cowering figure. He was endlessly ranting and degrading it. He then struck the figure several times. When the figure fell to the ground, Adam realized that it was a Pokémon. This trainer was just senselessly beating his Pokémon. Adam wasn't gonna stand for that.

Dropping his bag of groceries, he ran forward and pulled the man away from the Pokémon with a hard pull. He then slammed him against the wall and struck him in the stomach several times. The man sat there gasping painfully.

"What…what the fuck do you think you're doing?" the man asked. Adam back handed him, sending him to the ground.

"How the hell do you like it?" He asked. "How do you like getting beaten around?"

"Hey, I don't need anyone telling me how to raise my Pokémon." He replied. "It needed to be disciplined." With a growl, Adam kicked the man in the side.

"You need to be disciplined." He replied. "Why would you hit your own Pokémon?"

"Because, it's worthless. If it spent more time training and getting stronger then maybe it wouldn't lose so much."

"Well maybe it just needs a better trainer."

"You trying to say something?"

"Yea…give it to me. I'll take care of it."

"And why would I do that…what's in it for me?"

"Let's just said I won't beat your ass right here right now."

The man sneered. He glanced at his Pokémon, then back to Adam. With a snort on amusement and disgust, he drew a pokéball from his pocket. He shoved it in Adam's hand.

"Here…take it then." He said, then turned and strode away. "It's your problem now."

Adam wanted to chase him down and beat the shit out of him but he needed to see if the Pokémon was injured. Turning to it, he saw that it was a Typhlosion. It lay cowering face down on the ground. A mixture of dirt and dust clung to its fur but it did not hide the bruises. Adam knelt next to it and place a gently hand on its trembling back.

"Are you alright?" he asked. The Typhlosion slowly and shakily looked up at him. Adam smiled at it reassuringly. "It's alright…you're safe now." It quickly moved towards him and wrapped its arms around him, burying it head into his chest. Adam held it close and stroked it softly to calm it. After a minute, it looked up at him. He brushed some of the dirt from its face.

"Now then, do you have a name?" he asked. The Typhlosion hung its head and shook it. "Well then, I guess we will have to give you one." Adam said with a smile. "But first we need to find out if you're a male or a female. The Typhlosion looked up.

"Are you a boy?" Adam asked. It shook its head. "Then you're a girl?" It nodded. Adam smiled. Well then…you a female Typhlosion, which it a fire-type. Hmmm…how does Cinder sound?" She looked up happily at him, tears welling up in her eyes. She hugged him again to hide her face. "I guess you like it then." Adam chuckled.

He stood up and pulled out Cinder's pokéball.

"Well then, get in and when we get home I can take a look at your injuries." Cinder shook her head. "What...do you like being in a pokéball?" She shook her head. "Ahh…I see. Well, let's make a deal: You get in the pokéball, then when we get home…you don't have to go in it again unless you want to." Cinder sat there for a minute thinking about it. Finally, she gave a reluctant nod. Adam held out the ball to her and it flipped open. In a flash of red, Cinder vanished into its depths.

Standing, he clicked the button on the pokéball and it shrank down into a smaller size. He tucked it into his pocket and then went to gather his groceries. He then turned and headed how as quickly as he could. Once there, he strode through the backdoor. He slipped off his shoes and headed down the hallway into the kitchen.

"Hey there, did you get everything?" his mom asked when he set the bag on the counter.

"Yep." He replied with a nod as he unzipped his jacket and hung it on the wall hanger.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. "You look a little flustered." He quickly told her what had happened. She shook her head and sighed. "Some people…" she said. "And do you plan on keeping her?" He nodded. "Well, then…she is your responsibility. I expect you to take good care of her."

"Yes, ma'am." He replied with a smile. With a sigh, she looked at the wall clock. It read 8:46a.m.

"Well, I'm off to work." She gave him a hug and grabbed her keys. "I'll see you around lunch."

"Alright…have a good day."

She went down the hall and out the door closing it behind her. With a sigh, Adam shook his head. He drew Cinder's pokéball from his pocket. He pressed the button on it and it expanded to its original size.

"Come on out, Cinder." He said pushing the button again. There was a brief flash of light and then Cinder materialized in front of him. She shook her head as if she was trying to rid herself of an annoying fly. She then looked around the room trying to get a feel of her surroundings. "Welcome to your new home." Adam said with a smile. "You can look around shortly but first we need to get you cleaned up and see how bad you're hurt."

He led her to the bathroom where he drew her a tub full of hot water. He then helped her into it and rolled up his sleeves. He left momentarily to grab a few things. She sat down and let the steamy water soothe and relax her. Adam returned with a small hand scrubber and an empty pitcher.

He used the pitcher to pour water over her. He did this a few times before he grabbed a special bottle of Pokémon shampoo. It was in the leftover Pokémon care paraphernalia his older brother had sent him just in case he should get a Pokémon of his own. It smelt like pecha berries. He lathered the shampoo into Cinder's fur. He remembered to be gentle with the bruised areas.

Once her fur was fully shampooed, he used the hand scrubber to gently scrub away the filth that still clung to her. She winced a few times when he brushed a sore spot. Once done, Adam sensed the shampoo out of her fur and then grabbed a bottle of conditioner. It would make her fur not only softer, but also give it more of a shine. He did the same for it like he did for the shampoo before he rinsed her down and let the water out. He grabbed a towel and dried her down the best her could. Once done he had the chance to see how injured she was.

She had a few bruises here and there…but all in all; she was healthy as could be. Adam took a super potion and sprayed her bruises. She winced slightly as he did. Finally he was finished; he helped her out of the tub. She stood there and looked herself over before looking up at him. She didn't have to look up much since she only stood about five inches shorter than him.

"Do you feel better?" He asked.

"Yes, I do." She replied. "Thank you, very much."

"Well, that's good to hear…..wait….YOU CAN TALK?" he asked when he suddenly realized that she spoke. She nodded. He sat down on the closed toilet and took a moment to let it sink in. "Why didn't you talk to me earlier?" he asked.

"Because…I did not know how you would react. I thought you would be angry with me."

"Why would I be angry with you?" he asked.

"My last trainer didn't like me talking. He said it was unnatural for me to be doing so."

"Well, I'm not like your last trainer. I think it is rather neat that you can talk."

"Really?" she asked, her ears perking up slightly. "You don't mind than I can talk?"

"Not at all." She seemed relieved to hear that. "So, have you always been able to talk or did you learn how?"

"It's kind of long story." She replied. Just then Adam's stomach growled. He chuckled lightly. It reminded Cinder of how hungry she was as well.

"How 'bout you tell me over breakfast." He said with a smile. She nodded and followed him into the kitchen. "Is there anything you want in particular?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I could go for just about anything." She replied. He nodded. He walked over to the stereo in the dining room and turned it on to the local rock station. _"If you Only Knew" _by_ Shinedown_ was playing. He turned it up some and started making breakfast. He made up some scrambled eggs with some bacon and toast on the side.

He made two plates and set them at the dinner table. He clicked off the stereo and sat down at one of the plates while Cinder sat down at the other. They took a few bites. Cinder had never tasted anything so delicious.

"So…how did you come about talking?" Adam asked. Between bites.

"Well, as you could tell from earlier, my trainer wasn't the best." Adam nodded in agreement. "He rarely spent any time with me. He would normally go off with his other Pokémon and win money from battles at the park. He would often leave me with his older sister. She wasn't bad. She ran her own bookstore. Every day, she would read to me. She eventually taught me how to read myself. I read so much that I eventually started to learn how to speak. My trainer on the other hand didn't like me reading or speaking. He would often say that I was just wasting his time by reading instead of training to get stronger. One day I had had enough and told him that maybe if he would actually spend time training with me I could get better. He got mad and that's pretty much were you come along."

"Well, I was just glad I was able to get there in time before he managed to really hurt you." Adam replied.

"As am I." she replied. "And I thank you for that. I don't know what would have happened if you had not have shown p when you did. For all I know…I could very well own you my life."

"No, no, no." Adam said shaking his head. "You don't owe me anything. Like I said…I'm just happy to have gotten there in time." She smiled sweetly at him and he returned the smile. They finished eating and once finished, Adam washed the few dishes that were dirty. He turned and saw Cinder yawn.

"If you're tired you can go rest if you want." He said. She yawned again.

"I think I would like that." She replied.

"Come on." He said walking past her. They went through the dining room and into the living room. It held two chairs a couch and an entertainment center. Adam led her to his room. It had everything he needed. A bed, dresser, work table and a small tv.

"You can sleep there if you want." He said pointing to the bed.

"Thank you…" she said. She then stepped towards him and gave him a hug. "'For everything."

"Don't…don't mention it." Adam said returning the hug. "You can rest for as long as you need. I'll be cleaning in the kitchen if you need anything." With that said, he turned and closed the door behind him as he left the room.

Cinder stretched her stiff body and looked around the room briefly. She turned to the bed and pulled the blankets back before climbing into it and covering up. _Adam seems very nice._ She thought to herself. _I think I am going to enjoy it here._

_**Next Chapter: Long Days, Longer Nights**  
><em>


	2. Ch 2: Long Days, Longer Nights

_**Chapter Two: Long Days, Longer Nights**_

"I'm sorry, Cinder, but I really do have to go to work." Adam said as the Typhlosion had hugged him tightly, not wanting him to leave.

"But, why…why tonight?" She asked. "You worked last night. Can't they just call someone in to take over your shift?"

"They might be able to but I still have to go in anyway…I get my paycheck tonight."

"How long?"

"2pm to close."

"What time?"

"We close at 11 tonight so I won't be getting home till like 11:30 – 11:45."

"Fine…go if you must, but I really hate it when you leave me." She said with a sigh.

"I know…I know, but I can't take you with me and I can't stay home. And besides…Mom will be home."

"Not tonight. She is going out again with your step-dad."

"Well, I'm sorry. I really am." Adam sighed heavily. "I have several books; if you want you can read any of them. That might pass some time."

"Alright…Just please, don't stay to long after."

"I won't…I promise."

Adam slipped on his work shoes and headed out the door. He climbed into his 2005 Ford Mustang. He clicked on the radio. _Three Days Grace – Never Too Late_ was playing on his favorite station. He then buckled his seat belt and backed out the drive. He had about a ten minute drive ahead of him and he still had twenty-five minutes before he had to be clocked in. That would give him plenty of time to eat a late lunch.

Working at a fast-food restaurant wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. Most of the times the shift would go by fast. He enjoyed most of the people he worked with and the work was rather easy. All in all, it wasn't a bad job. He soon pulled up into the parking lot of the Bojangles he worked at.

"Another day, another dollar." He said with a sigh as he climbed out of his car. He slipped on his cap and closed the door. He made sure it was locked before he headed inside. Once inside, he went around the side and knocked on the employee door. A few seconds later, it was opened up.

"Hey, Adam." One of his co-workers said.

"Damn, Joel…they got you in early today." He replied.

"Yep…"

"What time you get out?"

"Close."

"You too?"

"Yep." Just then, his manager came around the corner.

"Andrew…I'm gonna need you to clock in now." She said. "We're gonna be getting busy here soon."

"Yes, Mrs. Terresa." He replied. He then clocked in and headed around back to the back of the house to grab an apron. He then took over the grill while Chris, who was on grill at the time, went to relieve José from biscuit station. "Damn." Adam sighed. "I have a feeling tonight will be a long night."

* * *

><p>Cinder lay curled on Adam's bed. She rolled over and tried not to think about Adam being gone for the next ten hours.<p>

_Two weeks._ She thought to herself. _Two weeks here and I am already missing him when he leaves._ She sighed. She was surprised how quickly she had become attached to Adam. She thought it would have taken longer. She liked him. He was everything her last trainer wasn't. He was kind and respectful and seen her more as a friend then some tool used to fight for money. She sighed and tried to get some sleep. After all, what else was she going to do for the next few hours?

Cinder must have been more tired than she thought because in a matter of minutes, she was sound asleep. Thought her sleep was soon over-runned by her thoughts and dreams.

_She was standing in the meadow on the mountain where she grew up. The sun warmed her fur and all she wanted to do was lie out in the sun and enjoy the day. But it felt like something was not right. Like something was missing. Suddenly, dark clouds blocked out the sun and with a deafening crash of thunder, they released a cold downpour._

_ Cinder took off running as fast as she could to find shelter from the storm. She soon came across a small cave and she decided to wait out the storm there. Cold, wet, and alone; she curled up and lay on the hard ground in the rear of the cave._

_ "Cinder…" a voice called. She looked up to see Adam seated before her. "Are you alright?" he asked. She immediately threw her arms around him and licked him happily on the cheek. He took off his shirt and dried her off the best he could. He then sat with his back against the wall of the cave and motioned for her to come over._

_ She sat in between his legs with her back against his warm chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She could feel the steady beating of his heart, something that she found very comforting. As one of his hands stroked the fur on her chest softly, the other traced the side of her jaw and turned her face towards his. He smiled sweetly to her._

_ "Don't worry now." He said gently. "I'm right here." He then pulled her close into a deep and passionate kiss which surprised her. But she did not shrink back and she returned the kiss. The storm raged on outside but its strength was nothing compared to their love of each other they felt inside as they held one another close and drifted off to sleep._

Cinder woke to find herself blushing. She shook her head and tried to rid herself of the thoughts she was having about Adam. _What am I doing?_ She thought. _Why am I having these thoughts about Adam? He is a human at that. So why are my feelings that strong for him? _ She lay there trying to fall back asleep but she was nervous that her dreams might show just how strong she felt for him. So in the end, she lay there staring at the ceiling.

* * *

><p>Adam sighed as he sat down. His feet hurt and throbbed with each second that passed. He had been standing on them for six hours straight. They had been busy, which was common for a Friday evening. They had been so busy, in fact that the manager had called in a few more employees. Adam smiled when he saw his friend Kenino. He had not been working as long as Adam, but he could handle the chicken station if Adam was needed elsewhere.<p>

"You looked tired." Kenino said as Adam wearily got to his feet.

"I am." He replied with a sigh. "It's been really busy."

"How busy?"

"Well, busy enough where I have dropped at least six or seven six's in the past hour, hour and a half. And at least two of them had maybe fifteen – twenty extra wings."

"Damn…that is pretty busy."

Kenino had been there long enough that Adam didn't have to explain what a six was. Adam was confused when he first heard the term. Basically, a six was an order of chicken that contained six breasts, six thighs, six wings, and six legs. Normally, they would call back for two six's, which meant that Adam had to batter and drop twelve of each piece into the fryers.

With the extra help, they were able to keep things under control and slowly but surely, the clock ticked ever closer to 11:00…closing time. At about 9:30, Adam switched over to dishes. As much as he complained about not wanting to wash them all the time; he really didn't mind it that much. It gave him time to think. Adam ended up washing dishes till 11:00. Chris, the guy working on biscuit station that night, helped him finish up.

It was just after 11:15 and Adam clocked out and said his goodbyes. He strolled out to his car and shivered as he pulled out his keys. It turned out to be a bit cooler that night than he thought. He climbed into his car and glanced over his check. He was surprised when he found it reading just over three hundred dollars. His last check was just short of half that. With a smile on his face, he tucked it into his glove box and headed out the parking lot. Adam was surprised by the number of people that were still out. It was 11:30 and there were still a fairly large number of people still driving about.

At a red light, he clicked on his MP3 player and hooked it into a port in his radio. He hit his rock folder and set it to random. The first song that started playing was _P.O.D. – Youth of a Nation_. He turned up the radio as he headed down the road for home. As he headed down one of the last roads home, flashing lights from up ahead caused him to slow. It was the train that seemed to always stop his mom when she was on her way to work. Looks like it finally got him. He put his car in part and sat back. Since it was heading into town, it was slowing down to a safe speed. If it was heading the other direction; it would be speeding up since it was leaving town.

With a sigh Adam clicked to the next song. It was _Paranoid _by _Black Sabbath_. He turned up the volume and waited for the train to pass. After a few minutes, the cross bars slowly raised and Adam headed on his way. The car behind him had its brights on so he flicked up his rearview mirror to keep the glare from blining him. He turned off onto Oaks Road. He was glad to almost be home. After another few minutes he turned once again, this time onto a side road. Almost instantly, Adam turned into his driveway. _Five Finger Death Punch's Far From Home_ was playing so he waited for the song to finish before he turned off his car. He grabbed his MP3 and his check before he closed the door and locked it. He made his way up the back steps and unlocked the door. He quietly closed it and locked it back before making his way to his room.

He slowly made his way through the quiet and dark house. He slowly opened the door to his room and then closed it behind him. In the faint glow of the moon shining through his blinds, he could see Cinder curled up and sleeping on the makeshift bed he had made for her. He carefully stripped off his uniform and tossed it into his hamper. He then slipped on a worn pair of jeans and a tee shirt before climbing into bed. He plugged his MP3 into a dock for it on his desk near his bed and set the volume just loud enough for him to hear it. Then, with one last glance at Cinder, He rolled over under his blankets and closed his eyes.

* * *

><p>Cinder looked over at Adam's bed. She assumed he thought she was asleep, but she wasn't. She couldn't sleep. She got up and stretched before making her way to his bed. She stood beside it and watched him sleep for a few minutes. He gave a sudden shiver and bundled tighter into his blankets. It was then when Cinder realized that his room was rather chilly. The cold didn't really bother her, the fire inside her would keep her warm; but she did know that the ac unit wasn't working properly and the heat sometimes didn't come on.

Slowly, she crawled under the blankets and snuggled next to Adam. He groaned before rolling over and looking at her.

"Cinder…what are you doing?" he asked quietly.

"Well, I couldn't sleep so I got up." She explained. "I seen you shivering and thought you were cold." He didn't respond. "I can go back to my bed if you would like." She added timidly.

"No." he said with a small smile. "You can sleep with me tonight if you'd like." She smiled and snuggled closer to him, burrowing her face into his chest. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close; grateful for the warmth she was providing him. She looked up and nuzzled his neck, breathing deeply as she did. She loved his scent. It had a smoky smell to it and she wasn't sure if it came naturally or if it was from work. Either way, she didn't care and she inhaled deeply.

"Cinder." Adam said. "Are you alright?" she looked up at him.

"Why do you ask?" she asked.

"Something seems different about you. You normally don't act like this."

"Like how?"

"This…You very rarely sleep in my bed let alone when I'm in it. Is something wrong? Cause if something is, I want to help. I would do anything to make you happy."

"Well, it's just…I…I kind of…." She didn't know quite how to put it. In the end, she changed her mind and said something else. "It's just that I couldn't sleep. I thought that I might be able to with you here." She had almost said she was in love with him, but she wasn't sure as to how he would react. After all, she was still shocked by the fact she was having the feelings for him. He started at her for a moment and she wondered if he believed her.

"Well, okay…" he finally said. "As long as you happy. Just know this: if something is wrong or bothering you…you can tell me. I will do what I can to help." She smiled at him.

"Thank you." She said as she licked him lightly on the cheek and nuzzled against his neck again.

"Don't mention it." He replied. He sat there for a moment before he kissed her on the top of her head. "Good night, Cinder."

"Good night, Adam." She replied. She smiled softly as he held her close. She returned the "hug" and soon they both had fallen asleep, held close in each other's warm embrace.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Next Chapter: A Day at the Park<strong>_


	3. Ch 3: A Day at The Park

_**Chapter 3: A Day at the Park**_

Adam slowly opened his eyes. He glanced at his clock.

"9:00 am" he read. He rubbed his eyes. A slight movement next to him made him look down. Cinder was nestled next to him. He had almost forgotten that she had slept in his bed last night. He tried to move as slow as possible to keep from waking her. The only problem was, his bed was against a wall and the side he was laying on was near the wall. With his computer tabled at the foot of his bed, he couldn't just slide off the end either. That meant he would have to climb over her to get out of bed.

With a sigh, he got to his hands and knees. Slowly, he reached one of his hands out and placed it on the other side of Cinder. He started to move over her but almost lost his balance and fell. The sudden movement caused Cinder to roll over. With a light moan, she opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Wh…what are you doing?" she asked, her cheeks turning a slight red tint. Adam quickly climbed over and stood outta bed.

"I was trying to get up without waking you." Cinder looked and realized that she had been blocking him from getting up and that he had to climb over her to get out of bed.

"Oh…I'm sorry." She said sitting up. "I didn't know I was blocking you."

"It's alright." Adam replied with a shrug. He stretched, groaning as his stiff joints popped. Cinder got up and stretched as well.

"So, what do you have planned for today?" she asked.

"Well, I'm off today." He said. "First, I want to get some Christmas shopping done. Then I was thinking we could go down to the park for a little while."

"We never really had much of a Christmas." She said, hanging her head slightly. Adam placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, we are this year." He said with a smile. She looked up at him.

"Really?" she asked. He nodded. She seemed happy at first, and then she hung her head again.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm not sure what to do at Christmas." She said finally.

"What did you do for Christmas with your old trainer?"

"Nothing much. We usually just sat around while his family gave each other gifts."

"That's it?" She closed her eyes and nodded. "Well, that's gonna be different this year…trust me. This will the Christmas you will never forget." She looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back and rubbed the top of her head. "Come on." He said. "Let's got get something to eat."

The two made their way to the kitchen. Both Adam's mom and step dad had already left for work. Adam got started on breakfast. He wanted to make something quick and simple so he started making pancakes. Before he got started, he turned on the radio, which was something Cinder noticed he did often. He only turned it on when he was working in the kitchen and was the only one home.

Cinder didn't really know any of the singers or bands that played but she really liked the music they played. Adam liked all sorts of music but he mainly listened to rock; something that Cinder quickly learned that she liked also.

_"That was Linkin Park with What I've Done."_ The radio broadcaster announced when the song ended. _"Today is looking like it might be a good day. It will be sunny with scattered clouds blowing through. Thought we will be getting a lot of sun, the day will be rather chilly with a high of only 55__. So if you plan on going out, maybe to do some Christmas shopping, you might wanna take a light jacket. Speaking of shopping, it's getting to be rather crazy out there. With only a week till Christmas Eve, stores will most-likely be a bit crowed with the people trying to get in some last minute shopping…so, if you do got out for shopping, be careful in those parking lots. An accident would really ruin your holiday spirit, that's for sure. Well, we got some more good music coming at you. We got some Puddle of Mudd, some Stone Sour, and even a little Nickelback; but right now we got Bush with The Sound of Winter."_

Cinder sat down in a chair at the table and listened to the music while Adam finished with breakfast. She didn't have to wait long cause only after a few minutes; he walked up with two plates of pancakes. He set Cinder's in front of her before sitting down with his.

The two ate quietly for several minutes. Adam watched Cinder eat for a moment. She had surprised him when she revealed that she had grasped the basic concepts that humans used with day to day functions such as the utilization of utensils as well as other things. He found it rather amusing that Cinder acted more human than Pokémon. Eventually, it made him think that maybe there was a possibility that she would rather be a human than a Pokémon, but if that was the case…why? Adam thought at times that it would be rather interesting and neat to be a Pokémon.

The two finished eating and while Cinder cleaned herself up, Adam set out with cleaning the kitchen. Once finished, Adam went to his room and checked a few things. He wanted to check his bank account and make sure he had enough money. He always carried about a hundred dollars on him, but he always had his debit card just in case something proved to cost more than he had on him at the time.

Once he was finished, he went to the bathroom to freshen up and shave. He wished sometimes he didn't have to, but with his work, having a clean shave was mandatory. He brushed his teeth then returned to his room to grab his cell phone, wallet, and keys. He then slipped on his shoes and headed into the kitchen. Cinder was waiting for him.

"You ready?" he asked. She nodded. He grabbed a light jacket from the hallway and made his way out the door with Cinder following close behind. He turned to make sure the door was locked before he headed down the steps to his car. He opened the passenger door for Cinder and held it while she climbed in. He then fastened her seat-belt before closing the door and making his way around to the other side and climbed in himself.

He started the car and clicked on his MP3 and hit random. Just then, and old time favorite of his played. It was an old song that he hadn't heard roughly five years back when he lived in Louisiana. Just the other day, a friend came over to hang out and had the song on his iPod and it made Adam remember and soon he had the song playing once again. He turned up the volume and backed out the drive before heading down the road.

"_Desperate for changing, starving for truth._

_I'm closer to where I started while chasing after you."_

"_I'm falling even more in love with you._

_Letting go of all I've held on to._

_I'm standing here until you make me move._

_I'm hanging by a moment here with you."_

"_Forgetting all I'm lacking, completely incomplete._

_I'll take your invitation; you take all of me now."_

"_I'm falling even more in love with you._

_Letting go of all I've held on to._

_I'm standing here until you make me move._

_I'm hanging by a moment here with you._

_I'm living for the only thing I know._

_I'm running and not quite sure where to go._

_And I don't know what I'm diving into._

_Just hanging by a moment here with you."_

"_There's nothing else to lose, there's nothing else to find._

_There's nothing in the world that can change my mind._

_There is nothing else…_

_There is nothing else…_

_There is nothing else…"_

"_Desperate for changing, starving for truth_

_I'm closer to where I started while chasing after you."_

"_I'm falling even more in love with you._

_Letting go of all I've held on to._

_I'm standing here until you make me move._

_I'm hanging by a moment here with you._

_I'm living for the only thing I know._

_I'm running and not quite sure where to go._

_And I don't know what I'm diving into._

_Just hanging by a moment here with you."_

"_Just hanging by a moment,_

_Hanging by a moment,_

_Hanging by a moment,_

_Hanging by a moment here with you."_

It wasn't long before Adam reached the mall. Like he expected, the parking lot was jammed packed with shoppers out for those last minute deals. He knew it would be even crazier inside and he thought of asking Cinder to wait in the car, but he really didn't want to leave her alone. Adam was glad that he had already done most of his shopping online. But there were still a few people he had to get gifts for as well as more wrapping supplies and whatever else he needed.

They made their way through the doors and grabbed one of the few remaining shopping buggies left. Together, they weaved their way through the shoppers trying to find those last minute things. He only really needed to get something for his aunt, uncle, grandmother, and his cousin. He also wanted to get something for Cinder. He already had an idea as to what he was gonna get her. The main issue was price thought, because Adam wasn't sure as to how much her gift would cost. He had already spent 200 dollars with the online shopping and was hoping he would not blow another 200 – 300 dollars as quickly as he did then.

He swept to the food section and grabbed a few things that he was running low on at home as well as a couple boxes of chocolate cover cherries for his grandma…she was probably the easiest to shop for. After grabbing a few other things, Adam started making his way to the other side of the store. He grabbed a few of the remaining rolls of wrapping paper, some tape, bows and anything else he would need for wrapping gifts.

About an hour later he managed to pay at a checkout lane and make his way out of the mall. He had gotten a few things for Cinder, but he would probably have to order it online. The only question was would it be delivered on time for Christmas? After everything was loaded into the car, they climbed in and made their way home.

Adam sighed with relief when he pulled into his driveway. He and Cinder gathered up the groceries and brought them inside. He put the food away and took the gifts to his room and began wrapping them. Cinder waited around in the living room while he did. After about an hour or so, Adam came out with two armfuls of wrapped gifts. He took them to the dining room where his mom had bought a live 2 and a half foot tall tree she decorated and set it up on a side table by the window. Adam piled the gifts around it and turned to find Cinder standing behind him.

"Well, it's just about lunch time." He said. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

"I could eat." She replied. He smiled and clicked on the radio before heading into the kitchen and got started with lunch. He whipped up a couple of quick hamburgers that turned out to be delicious. Cinder quickly found out that cooking was just one of the many talents Adam had and at times, she would wonder about what else he could do.

After lunch, Adam went to his room to change into a more comfy pair of clothes and packed a hiking pack before asking Cinder is she was ready to head to the park. She was kind of nervous about going due to the thought of running into her old trainer, but Adam quickly reassured her that he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

The two made their way back outside and back into the car. The park wasn't far and it only took about ten minutes to drive there. Adam parked his car and climbed out, taking a deep breath as he did. Of all his favorite places to be, the park was one of them. It had several picnic areas, a few places to swim, and miles of hiking and biking trails that twisted throughout it. He scooped up his pack and made his way towards one of the closest trails with Cinder close behind.

"We are gonna stick to the smaller, less traveled trails." Adam said as he re-tied the laces on his shoes. "That way, we have less of a chance of running into anyone who is out looking for a battle." Cinder nodded. Adam clicked on his MP3 and hooked it to a set of built in speakers that were in his pack, something that he really enjoyed. As soon as his song started playing, he turned to Cinder. "Can you keep up?" he asked with a grin. She grinned back and nodded. With that, Adam took off down the trail as fast as he could with Cinder running on all fours not far behind him.

"_Saints born together to fight against their holy fables;_

_the streets are where we pray._

_Hymns for the lonely, wretched and forgotten;_

_the feeling in our hearts won't ever fate away."_

"_We stand tall (united),_

_Watch them fall (divided),_

_Break the chains and now we'll show them all (fight)."_

Adam was running as fast as he could. He was in his element. Cinder was trying her hardest to keep up. She was surprised by how fast he could move. He aimlessly jumped over, vaulted, or flipped off of fallen trees or limbs that spanned the trail.

"_Fight for all you know._

_When your backs against the wall,_

_stand against the liars._

_Stronger than before,_

_When your life becomes a war._

_Set the world on fire."_

"_Sing out united against the ones you left in hatred;_

_our message of today._

_Like children crying when all they knew was dying;_

_and we will raise our flags up._

_It's time for them to pay."_

"_We stand tall (united)._

_Watch them fall (divided)._

_Break the chains and now we'll show them all (fight)."_

One thing Adam was glad he learned was parkour. It was the act of easily moving through one's surrounding while testing one's skills of speed, balance, endurance, and coordination. He had always seen videos of people doing parkour in urban environments such as simple urban sprawl or playgrounds. Adam was more into what he called natural parkour which was the same thing as urban parkour, except you did it out in nature such as on nature trails.

"_Fight for all you know._

_When your backs against the wall,_

_stand against the liars._

_Stronger than before,_

_when your life becomes a war._

_Set the world on fire."_

_(woahh ohhh)_

"_So sing it loud you hold the key._

_We're the rebels and we're free."_

_(woahh ohhh)_

"_It's time to burn all that you see._

_Now the world belongs to me."_

Slowly and surely, Cinder began to get the hang of it and soon she was keeping pace with Adam. The two were going flat out down the trail weaving over or under fallen trees or low hanging limbs, vaulting over stumps and logs, and just all in all enjoying a great workout.

"_Fight for all you know._

_When your backs against the wall,_

_stand against the liars._

_Stronger than before,_

_when your life becomes a war._

_Set the world on fire."_

"_Proud in all you are._

_Showing every scar,_

_as your badge of honor._

_When you can't take anymore,_

_of what they're living for._

_Set the world on fire."_

Finally, Adam came to a stop in a small clearing. He shrugged off his pack and flopped himself down in the grass breathing heavily. Cinder joined him, also panting loudly. After a minute Adam pulled two bottles of water from his pack and handed one to Cinder. They rested up for about ten minutes before getting up and moving on down the trail. They continued this for several hours. Before long, Adam was at his limits and he called it quits for the day. As the two made their way back to the car at a much normal pace. Adam looked at Cinder.

"So, did you have fun?" he asked still breathing somewhat hard.

"Yep." She nodded.

"Good…cause it's what we are gonna do often for training or a good workout."

"How often?"

"As often as I can…hopefully once a week, maybe twice."

"Okay."

"You don't mind at all?"

"Nope." She said shaking her head. "I had a lot of fun, it was a great workout, I I was just glad to actually be training with someone for a change."

"Well, okay then." Adam said with a smile. "Now we have something to do with some of our freetime."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Next Chapter: Christmas Eve<br>_**

* * *

><p><em>Songs:<em>

Lifehouse - Hanging By a Moment (Here With You)

Black Veil Brides - Set The World On Fire


	4. Ch 4: Christmas Eve

_**Chapter 4: Christmas Eve**_

The next week seemed to fly by. Before they knew it, it was Christmas Eve. Like several times before; Adam and his parents went out to his aunt's house out in the country to celebrate Christmas Eve there. Then, they would celebrate Christmas Day back at home. This year was going a little different. Adam's stepdad wasn't going to be celebrating Christmas Eve with them this year. Apparently his stepdad got into an argument with his mom and he was on her "shit-list" as he liked to call it.

Adam's aunt came to pick them up, but Adam wanted to drive his car, so he was just gonna follow his aunt back to her place while his mom rode with her and Cinder rode with him. He loaded up his gifts into the back of his car and climbed in and buckled up. Cinder was already waiting in the passenger seat. As they rode along; Cinder couldn't help but notice how quiet Adam was being. After a few more minutes, she spoke up.

"Is something wrong, Adam?" she asked. "You're a lot quieter than normal." At first, he didn't answer so she thought she would just leave the matter alone. Then he gave a sigh.

"Looks like we will most likely be moving in a few months." he said.

"Why?"

"There has just been a lot of stuff going around at home with Johnnie and mom's just tired of messing with the bullshit for right now. She said that once she gets her a new car, we would most likely be moving out if things didn't shape up around there."

Cinder remained quiet. She just looked out her window and said nothing. Adam noticed this. He reached over and rubbed the top of her head.

"Don't worry," he said. "You're not to blame for any of it." She looked back at him and he smiled at her reassuringly. She smiled back and looked back out her window. After a while she spoke up again.

"How many people are going to be there?" she asked.

"Well: my aunt and uncle, my younger cousin, and my grandma will be there for sure. I think my older cousin will be there with his girl and their two kids as well. Then there will be me, you and my mom. I think my Uncle Dan's mom might be there as well."

"That's quite a few people." She stated. She sounded a bit nervous. Adam knew she didn't really care for large groups of people.

"Yea…but it shouldn't be too bad." Adam said. "We do this every year. So, you don't have to worry. If you want…I can just tell them to not bother you. They should understand." Cinder smiled to herself. She was glad to be with Adam. She never had anyone who would be willing to go so far in to make sure she was happy. He was certainly a lot better than her last "trainer".

It wasn't long before the city scenery melted away and the more rural landscape became more dominant. Cinder soon realized that she preferred being out in the country over being in the city. With less hustle and bustle, the more slow and quiet change of pace was pleasing to her. They tuned off down several roads and it had begun to seem that they were going to the middle of nowhere.

Finally, after about an hour, they pulled up the drive of Adam's aunt's house. Cinder climbed out of the car and took a deep breath. The air here was defiantly fresher than the air in the city. Adam gathered up his gifts and made his way towards the house with Cinder close behind. They went in and Adam unloaded his gifts onto the already packed dining room table.

Adam turned and was almost immediately greeted by his cousin.

"Adam…what's up?" he asked holding out his hand.

"Hey Austin, not much." He replied clapping hands with him. Cinder watched him closely. For some reason, she had a hunch that this Austin character was a loud and rowdy person. She tried to stay unnoticed behind Adam, but it was a rather hard feat that she was unable to do.

"So this is the new Pokémon you got?" Austin asked spotting her.

"Yea…this is Cinder; Cinder, this is my cousin Austin."

"Nice to meet you, Cinder." He said excitedly. She just nodded lightly and tried to move more out of sight behind Adam.

"You'll have to forgive her." Adam explained. "She's kinda shy and not very fond of meeting new people at the moment."

"Ahh…well, I understand." Austin replied. Adam smiled at Cinder and gave her a sort of I-told-you-so look. Adam made his way into the kitchen. His aunt always was making something good to eat. There was a large tray on the counter that was filled with an assortment of cookies and candies as well as crackers with slices of various meats and cheeses.

Adam grabbed a cookie just as his aunt entered the kitchen.

"Hey Aunt Grace." He said.

"Hey." She replied. She seemed a little frayed and Adam knew why. Like Cinder, his aunt wasn't much of a people person. She was more than likely waiting for the day to be over so people could leave and go home.

"These look like a new recipe." He said referring to the cookie he was holding.

"Yea, it is. I thought I would try something different this year, ya know." Adam nodded. "Go ahead and take a few."

Adam did and he handed one to Cinder. She sniffed the cookie and looked at Adam. He nodded and she took a little bite. It was delicious. It had a sweet and buttery taste with a soft yet firm texture. Cinder liked it and quickly at the rest in a few bites. Adam smiled and handed her another before making his way into the living room.

His mom was sitting on the couch with his grandma. He walked over and gave his grandma a hug before making his way down the hall to his cousin's room. He was surprised to see that his room was somewhat clean. The already cramped room was usually cluttered but for right now, it was rather clean. Adam sat on the bed since his cousin was sitting in his gaming chair. Cinder curled up beside him.

"So," he cousin said. "What do you wanna play first?" His cousin had probably sixty games for his Xbox easy, but there were only a few that Adam liked to play.

"Wanna play some firefight in Reach?" Adam asked.

"Sure, why not." Austin replied with a shrug.

He popped in the game and handed a controller to Adam. Adam didn't play to many games but Halo Reach was one of his favorites. His cousin was more of a Call of Duty person. They played Halo for a few hours before switching over to Survival Mode in Call of Duty 3. With Austin's help Adam was able to get much farther than he had ever gotten.

"What's coming up on the next wave?" he asked.

"Juggernauts." Austin replied.

"Again…we just faced two like four rounds ago."

"Yep, and now we gotta face three."

"Screw that, my ass is getting a predator."

"I already got one."

"Okay…well, now I got one too."

"Good, cause here come the choppers to drop them off."

Three helicopters circled overhead and dropped smoke grenades before lowering the heavily armored soldiers. They were able to take two down with their predators. Austin ran to go get another but the last remaining Juggernaut got there first and mowed him down with a HMG.

"Crap, I'm down."

"I'm coming."

Adam made his way over to revive his downed cousin but the Juggernaut blocked him. Adam took cover just as he opened fire. Adam charged him, firing clip after clip from his AK but the bullets had little effect. Adam quickly depleted his rifle's ammo, so he quickly switched to his sidearm, a Desert Eagle. He fired twelve rounds at point blank range into the Juggernaut's head, but he just shrugged it off.

"Damn, I'm out of ammo." Adam said. "You know what…fuck it…knife." He began to repeatedly slash at him with his knife. Just when he seemed like he was about to win, the Juggernaut knocked him back with a "fuck-off" manor and then mowed him down as well.

"Damnit!" Adam exclaimed.

"You know you could have stunned him with a flash bang." Austin said.

"Now you tell me?" Adam asked. "That could have come in handy when he was kicking our asses."

They played on for about another hour and a half before dinner was ready. They made their way into the living room. Adam's other cousin had arrived with his girlfriend and their two kids like Adam had guessed. His other grandma had arrived as well. She had brought a large lasagna over. They all grabbed plates and dung in. After they had eaten and let their supper go down; Adam's uncle made his way to the kitchen table and began gathering gifts to hand out to people.

Everyone had gathered in the living room to wait. Adam sat in front of the fireplace. Cinder sat next to him. It wasn't long before the sound of wrapping paper being shredded filled the room. Adam unwrapped two new shirts and a necklace that he knew he had got because he had bought them himself. He then unwrapped another shirt that came with a cross necklace that his mom had gotten him. He got another shirt. He was surprised when he got the new MP3 player his aunt got him and the PSP his cousin got him.

Cinder was surprised when Adam handed her a few gifts. She got a sweater which she put on and a red bandana that Adam tied around her neck for her. She also got a basket filled with grooming products that includes a brush and some shampoo and conditioner that was made for a fire-type Pokémon. She smiled and looked at him.

"Don't worry." He said with a smile. "I didn't get the shampoo as a gift to say you smell bad." She laughed and gave him a hug; thanking him. He hugged her back.

Adam smiled as he watched his mom open his gifts to her. He had gotten her a pair of ear rings, a bracelet, a shirt, as well as a few other things. She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek as she said she loved her gifts.

Soon, everyone had opened their gifts and the cleanup of the wrapping paper was done. It wasn't long before everyone started to go home. Adam was a little surprised when his mom told him that they we staying the night. Adam made his way to his cousin's room. It was rather late but he wasn't tired.

"You wanna play Gears of War?" Austin asked hold up the new game he had just gotten. It was Gears of War 3, the only one Adam hadn't beat.

"If you don't mind?" he replied.

"Nah, go ahead…I'll probably going to call it a night here soon anyway."

"Alright." Adam said sitting in the "gamer-chair" while his cousin took the bed. Cinder removed her sweater since it was rather warm and curled up on the blankets that were laid out for her and Adam. She watched Adam play the game for a little while but soon she lost interest and went to sleep. Adam stayed up until he beat the game.

He looked at the clock. It read 3:47. With a yawn, he turned off the TV and curled up under his blankets. As he did, Cinder woke up. She rolled over and looked at him.

"I'm sorry." He said to her. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay." She replied before she too moved under the blankets. He wrapped her in a soft hug as she snuggled close to him.

"Did you like your gifts?" he asked. She nodded.

"I loved them, thank you." She replied. He just smiled and kissed her goodnight on the top of her head. She smiled to herself and nuzzled up against his neck before she fell asleep not long after he did.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Next Chapter: Christmas Day<strong>_


	5. Ch 5: Christmas Day

_**Chapter 5: Christmas Day**_

Adam woke up a few hours later. For some reason, he really couldn't get much sleep. Cinder was still asleep. He got up slowly and made his way to the kitchen. His mom, aunt, and cousin were already up. His aunt was busy finishing up with breakfast. His cousin and mom were both sitting in the living room. He assumed that his uncle was out fishing.

Adam made his way to the kitchen and got himself a plate of eggs and bacon with toast. He poured himself a glass of tea and took a seat in the living room. It wasn't long before Cinder made her way into the living room. She took a seat next to Adam and he shared his breakfast with her since he had gotten larger portions than he thought he had.

After breakfast, Adam decided to go for a walk...just to kinda get out of the house. Since his aunt lived in the middle of nowhere; it was the best. Cinder decided that she wanted to tag along. She had her reasons and Adam was sure he could guess a few, but he really didn't feel like asking why. He slipped on his shoes and jacket and headed out; Cinder following in toe.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Nowhere in particular." He replied. "Just wanted to get out for a few."

They walked down the road a little until they came to a small trail that cut through the woods. They turned off down the trail. Dead leaves littered the trail and crunched under their feet with each step. It wasn't long before they soon came to a crumbling building. The countryside was littered with old and decrepit structures that seemed to have been lost in time. They seemed to be slowly fading into their surrounding as time passed them by.

This one appeared to be a small house or barn. It was still standing. Adam was guessing that maybe it was all the ivy that constricted the building that was holding it together. Peeking in through an old busted out window; Adam saw hundreds and hundreds of Zubats hanging from the ceiling and supports. He backed away as quiet as possible to keep from disturbing them.

With a sigh, Adam found an old log and sat down on it. Cinder sat beside him. She watched him closely. He seemed to have something on his mind. She was about to ask him what it was when he spoke out.

"Did you have a good day yesterday?" he asked.

"Yes, I did." She replied with a nod.

"Like your gifts?"

"Yes, and I thank you for them. I really like this bandana." She said as she ran her paw over the soft red piece of fabric tied around her neck. "I just wish I was able to get you something."

"You don't have to get me anything." Adam said with a wave of his hand. They remained quiet for several minutes. The only sounds were the light rustling of the wind and the occasional noise from various Pokémon scattered throughout the local area. All in all, it was a rather surreal moment.

"So…what do you think of the family?" he asked. Cinder was quiet for a moment.

"Well, I like your aunt." She replied. "She kinda reminds me of myself."

"Yea," he chuckled. "She's not a real people person."

"I can tell."

"What about the others?"

"Your uncle seems alright; though I didn't really get to see him that much."

"He's the outdoorsman type. He normal spends his time out hunting or fishing."

"You grandma was really nice."

"Yea, she normally stays up in her room. Even I was surprised that she was out so much."

"Your older cousin was one of those types that seem to have a lot of problems to deal with and your younger cousin…I just don't know where to start with him."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…"

"You can be honest with me. I won't mind."

"His kinda annoying."

"Well, yea…I guess you're right there…but he _is_ family."

"I know that, but you did tell me to be honest."

"Yes, I did."

"He also doesn't appear to be in a healthy living condition."

"Yea…it bothers me sometimes." Adam replied. "He spends most of his time in his room playing his games; and on top of that, he doesn't eat right at all. I mean, if you didn't notice; my aunt will go through the trouble in making a big Christmas dinner and he goes and puts a pizza in the oven. It really dose worry me sometimes cause he is younger than me yet he probably weighs at least 60-70 pounds more than me."

"Why don't you talk to him about it?"

"He won't listen." He said with a heavy sigh. "The sad truth is; he may not think anything about it until after he has a heart attack or stroke. And to be honest, I think that's what it will take for him to change. I don't want it to come to that, but sadly; that's what I think it will take."

They fell into another bout out silence. They sat there for a few minutes before Adam stood up.

"Let's head back." He said.

They walked back up the trail and down the road back to the house. They stayed for another hour or two before they decided to head home. Since his aunt needed to pick up a few things in town, she would be taking Adam's mom with her. Adam and Cinder climbed into his car and backed out of the drive before they began to make their way home.

Once home, they stowed their gifts away in their room and decided to head down to the park for a nice stroll on the nature trails. The park was rather empty with it being Christmas. Adam didn't mind. He enjoyed the calm and quietness of it all. With it still being rather chilly, they decided to forgo their training and decided to stick with a simple hike.

They hiked for several hours and it was well into the evening when they decided to head home. His mom and stepdad were heading out the door when he pulled up.

"We are going to Alex and Summer's; they are having a Christmas party. Don't know what time we will be back." His mom told him before he could ask.

"Alright. Ya'll have fun and be careful on them roads."

"We will."

Adam took a quick shower first. Then, he decided to whip up a quick dinner while Cinder got cleaned up. After they had eaten, they retreated to their room for the night. Adam sat on the edge of his bed and aimlessly strummed his guitar for a minute or two while Cinder sat next to him and listened. After a while, he started to play a song for her.

_Without you, there's no reason for my story_

_And when I'm with you I can always act the same_

_Forever, yeah if we're together_

_We can make it better_

_You and I_

_We never get to sleep we're up all day_

_We're overworked and under paid_

_You and I_

_We're always stuck in repeat day by day_

_Watching time drift away as we burn away_

_Without you, there's no reason for my story_

_And when I'm with you I can always act the same_

_Forever, yeah if we're together_

_We can make it better_

_You and I_

_We've never felt so right_

_That just might be just what I need (to get me through the night)_

_You and I_

_We're the perfect fit you've got me hooked_

_So then I could never quit, I just burn away_

_Without you, there's no reason for my story_

_And when I'm with you I can always act the same_

_Forever, yeah if we're together_

_We can make it better_

_Oh oh oh-oh oh oh-oh_

_Oh oh oh-oh oh oh-oh_

_Without you, there's no reason for my story_

_And when I'm with you I can always act the same_

_Forever, yeah if we're together_

_We can make it... We can make it..._

_Without you, there's no reason for my story_

_And when I'm with you I can always act the same_

_Forever, yeah if we're together_

_We can make it... We can make it..._

_Without you, there's no reason for my story_

_And when I'm with you I can always act the same_

_Forever, yeah if we're together_

_We can make it better_

_Oh oh oh-oh oh oh-oh _

_Oh oh oh-oh oh oh-oh_

"That was a good song." Cinder said when I finished.

"Yea, I kinda played it spur-of-the-moment." He replied. "But, that's not all I have for you."

"What do you mean?" she asked with a curious tilt of her head.

"Well, to tell you the truth…I still have one more gift for you." He said as he got up and put his guitar away. He then retrieve a small, thin box from the top draw of his dresser before sitting back down on the bed. "I wanted to be alone and wait for the right time to give it to you." As he held it out to her.

Cinder took the box and slowly opened it. She let out a small gasp when she saw what it contained. There, nestled in its soft bedding, was a beautiful gold necklace. About every inch, there was a bead of golden amber and in the center for the main charm was a skillfully carved piece of fire-stone in the shape of a heart that was trimmed in gold.

Cinder's eyes grew moist as she cupped the heart in her paws. It almost seemed to glow under her touch. She was lost for words as she stared into the depths of the stone. When she was finally able to tear her eyes from its beauty, she looked at Adam holding back tears.

"Oh, Adam…it's wonderful." She said as she wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug. He hugged her back, happy that she loved the gift. She turned her back to him briefly so he could put the necklace around her neck. She looked down at the heart before wrapping her arms around him again.

"I love it." She said. "I only wish that I would have been able to get you a gift."

"You don't have to get me anything." He replied. She looked up at him. "_You_ are my gift. Just knowing that I have you here with me is all that I need." Her eyes began to tear up and she quickly hid her face by burrowing it into his chest. "I love you, Cinder." He said kissing the top of her head.

Cinder felt as if the fire inside her had grown into a large blaze. She felt warm all over as she looked up into his eyes. She knew that this was who she wanted to be with. This was where she belonged. Before she had time to stop herself; she wrapped her paw around his neck and pulled him in close for a kiss.

Adam was stunned. He wasn't expecting that much of a reaction. Slowly, he sank deeper into the kiss as he wrapped his arms around her. They stayed in their warm embrace for several minutes; not wanting it to end, and enjoyed the love they had for each other. After what seemed like an eternity, their lips finally parted.

"I love you too, Adam." She replied.

_**Next Chapter: Old Friends**_

* * *

><p>Songs:<p>

Anarbor - You and I


	6. Ch 6: Old Friends

_**Chapter 6: Old Friends**_

Adam woke up early one morning at the sound of his alarm clock. He rolled over and turned it off. A light groan came from beside him. In the dim light, he could see Cinder snuggled next to him. He smiled and pulled her close in a hug. She smiled in return as she hugged him back. About two weeks had passed since Adam and Cinder had confessed their feelings for one another. They were happy together and they honestly didn't mind the difference in species.

Adam got up and got dressed before making his way to his computer. He flipped it on as he sat down. Cinder moved her head to the foot of the bed so she could watch him.

"So, and plans for today?" she asked stifling a yawn.

"I hadn't really planned on doing much today." He admitted.

"Okay."

"Why, did you have anything planned?"

"Not really…I was just wondering what we were going to do today."

Adam pulled up his Facebook and checked his messages. He had a few of them. One was a friend request from someone he didn't know, so he denied it. Two were app invites, but he turned those down also. A few were likes and comments of things he had posted the previous day. The last was a message from Koal, an old buddy of his he hadn't seen since he graduated. He opened it up and read it.

_"Hey Adam, it's been a while since I had the chance to message you. I wanted to see if you were game for hanging out or something. School is out for testing and I already took mine so I am free for the next two weeks. I think Chase is available too if you want to see if he wanted to tag along."_

Adam turned to Cinder.

"You want to meet a couple of my old friend from high school?" he asked.

"Sure, I guess." She replied. "Why, are they coming over?"

"I'm not sure yet." He replied. "I just got a message from a friend who asked if I wanted to hang out so I thought I'd ask you first."

"It's okay, I wouldn't mind meeting a few of your friends." She said.

"Alright, I'll send him a reply saying we are free." He turned back to his computer and sent the reply.

_"Sure…I'm up for hanging out. If we can see if Chase is free; that would be even better. Get the gang back together and hang out like old times. If you want, we can meet up at Books…let's say…around 9:00am today. I'm off until Saturday so I'm free for the next few days."_

He sent the message and checked a few other things out. He heard some noise from the kitchen. His parents must be up. He made his walked to the kitchen and grabbed a cup of coffee before making his way back to his room. He flipped on the local news. As usual, the news was rather bleak and morbid. The weather on the other hand seemed rather nice. It would be clear and sunny, but a little chilly for the next few days.

Adam clicked off his TV and decided to do a little writing on a story head had started a few months ago. He wasn't an official author, but he did like to write short stories in his free time. Lately, he had been unable to work on them for several reasons including work, family issues, and a severe case of writer's block. He worked on his story for a few hours before he saved his work and decided to get some breakfast. The clock read 8:30. His parents had already left for work. He really didn't feel like cooking this morning. He decided to stop at Dunkin Donuts before heading over to Books A Million to meet up with his friends.

Adam grabbed his keys and wallet while Cinder tied on her bandana. Adam then slipped on a light jacket before putting on his shoes and heading out the door with Cinder following close behind. He locked the door and headed down the steps. His nosy neighbor was starting at him until Adam looked over at him. Immediately, his neighbor looked away. Adam and Cinder climbed into Adam's car. As he pulled out of his drive, Adam couldn't help but notice his neighbor was watching him leave.

"Fucking nosy ass bitch." Adam mumbled under his breath. Cinder couldn't help but notice that Adam did not like his neighbor.

"So, what's with your neighbor?" she asked after a few minutes.

"All he does is sit on his porch and watch what everyone else does. He just tries to find a way to get someone in trouble or make himself look important; both him and his wife." He explained. "I mean, he has an F.B.I. grade Dodge Charger with tinted windows and all. Whenever something goes down in the area, he likes to jump in his Charger and go down and stick his nose where it doesn't belong."

"My stepdad even picked him up on a police scanner bragging to a family member in the police force about how he had pulled up behind someone going 70 on the highway and they slowed down when they realized he was highway patrol. He is just impersonating a cop to make himself look important and make people respect him."

"Isn't it illegal to impersonate a law enforcement official?" cinder asked.

"Yea, it is…" he replied. "How did you know that?"

"One of the many books I've read happened to be about laws and what not."

"Oh, cool…but yea, it is illegal but I'm pretty sure he can get away with it seeing as he has family on the force."

They sat quietly for a few minutes until Adam pulled into the D&D parking lot. With a sigh, Adam shut off the engine and climbed out the car. He made his way inside with Cinder following in toe. She went and found a table while he went and paid for their breakfast. He returned with two pumpkin muffins and two hot chocolates.

While they ate, Adam could help but glance around. There were several other people there enjoying their breakfast as well. Some were even with their Pokémon like he was. He turned back to his hot chocolate. He and Cinder shared a little light conversation before finishing up and heading out. They climbed in to the car and soon were on their way.

It wasn't long before they pulled into the BAM parking lot. They got out and decided to wait out front for Koal and Chase to arrive. At five after nine, a tan minivan pulled up. The driver climbed out followed by a Lucario that got out of the passenger side. The driver approached Adam with a grin on his face.

"Hey, Adam…long time no see." He said. Adam clapped hands with him.

"Nice to see you to, Koal." He replied. "I see your Riolu evolved." He added with a nod towards the Lucario.

"Yep." Koal said with a smile. "He evolved over the summer. I see you got yourself a Pokémon as well." He added indicating to Cinder.

"Mmhmm…I got Cinder about two…three months ago."

"Well…It's nice to meet you Cinder." Koal said smiling as he got eye level with the Typhlosion.

"It is nice to meet you too, Koal." She replied. Koal looked stunned and Adam burst into laughter.

"You can talk?" he asked astounded. Cinder nodded with a smile.

"Yea, it threw me for a whirl when I found that out too." Adam admitted.

The two friends stood there shooting the breeze when a small jeep pulled up. A young man about their age got out and held the door for an Absol that landed lightly on the ground as it jumped out. The trainer and his Pokémon made their way towards them. As he approached, a large grin appeared on his face.

"Adam…" he said extending his hand and clapping it with Adam's. "How the hell are ya?"

"I'm doing good." He replied. "How have you been, Chase?"

"Good." He replied, and then sighed. "Trying to finish up school…this is my last semester."

"Damn you." Koal said. "I have to go the full year."

"Trust me; it isn't all sunshine and daises on the outside." Adam spoke up.

"I know that much; I was just thinking about who the hell am I going to talk to at school now. You graduated, and now Chase is about to finish. I'm going to have to go a whole semester without you guys to hang with."

"Well, I guess that's why we go together today." Chase said.

"Yep." Adam added.

The three friends made their way to a little collection of tables and chairs around the side of the building. They all talked about how their summer was and how things have been going then. Chase talked about how he past the time outside of school by entering battle tournaments and contests. His party consisted of a Tyranitar, Ninetales, Charizard, Dragonair, Skarmory, and of course Eris, his Absol. She was the first Pokémon he started with.

Koal had been doing yard work as well as a little Pokémon sitting in his neighborhood to earn a little money. His Lucario was the only Pokémon he had. He had started with a Riolu, but with all the training they did; it eventually evolved. They still trained every chance they got wither it was free running or sparing with one another. Adam remembered how he tried to spar with Koal once and got his ass kicked. He couldn't even imagine how a sparring match between Koal and his Lucario would go; especially if they went all out.

They continued to talk for several hours. They talked until they started to get hungry. For lunch, they decided to go to Sonic to grab a bite to eat. They paid for their food and drove to the park to enjoy the day while they ate. After they ate; they all agreed to go for a hike and talk. After a while the talk soon turned to how things were.

"You know, we should get the band back together." Chase said after a little while.

"Like how we would just play in my garage?" Koal asked.

"Well, yea…and no. I think we should get back together like those days, but we should take our band local." Chase explained.

"You mean like play at local coffee shops and bars?" Adam asked.

"Exactly."

"You know…that's actually not a bad idea." Adam stated.

"I guess we could." Koal agreed.

"You were in a band?" Cinder asked looking at Adam.

"Well, we weren't an official band." He explained. "We got together at school one day during lunch break and found out that we each had a little talent that when together, became much more than what it was."

"We ended up winning the school's talent show that year." Koal added.

"What happened after words? Why did you guys split up?" She asked.

"We sort of had to "go our separate ways" due to school." Adam said. "Once I started to work on my graduation project, I had little time for anything else. Then, once I graduated; we never really got a chance to hang out any more."

They talked for a while until they decided to that it was time to head home; but they agreed to meet up tomorrow at Koal's place with their instruments . Adam said his goodbyes and then he and Cinder climbed into his car and made their way home. Once there, they retreated to Adam's room to enjoy the quiet.

"Well, that was nice to get to see some old friends again." He said with a sigh as he kicked off his shoes and laid out on his bed, his hands crossed behind his head.

"It was." She agreed and she snuggled up next to him. "I had fun meeting your friends; they seem really nice."

"They are."

"How did you guys meet?"

"Well, me and Chase got to talking on day at lunch about a country singer and soon we became friends. I met Koal about a year later. He sat in front of me in Geometry and we ended up becoming friends one afternoon after I split a foot long sub sandwich with him in class."

"Really, you guys became friends over a sandwich in math class?"

"Yep, it was funny. He looked back at me as I was unwrapping it and he was wondering where I had got it. I asked if he wanted some and he said sure."

They laughed about it for a few minutes before Adam decided that he needed to get a shower. So he got up, stretching as he did, and got a change of clothes and made his way to the shower. Cinder laid back and closed her eyes. She tried to get comfortable, but without Adam there next to her, she was unable to. Ever since they confessed their feelings for each other; she had been having weird feelings in the pit of her stomach. Lately, it had just been a light burning sensation that just seemed to flare up whenever he was near. It was almost like she wanted her and Adam to be more than what they were already.

_"What's wrong with me?"_ she asked herself as she stared blankly at the ceiling. _"I mean; he is a human and I'm a Pokémon…It's not like Adam could have THAT strong of feelings for me…could he?"_

She sighed and rolled over again. The house was oddly calm and the sound of the running water of the shower could faintly be heard. Cinder found herself thinking about Adam once again; and once again her stomach got that odd feeling in it.

A little while later, Adam returned. He tossed his dirty clothes into the hamper then checked a few things on his computer before stretching out on his bed. It had been a rather long day and he didn't feel like doing much. Cinder snuggled up next to him and licked him lightly on the cheek. Before she could pull away, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her softly.

"I love you, Cinder." He said gently.

"I love you, too, Adam." She replied.

They locked into another passionate kiss for several minutes before their tired bodies and minds soon lead them into a deep and dreamless slumber.

Adam was the first to wake. He turned off his alarm and got up stretching. The house was quiet. His parents must have had to go into work early. He poured himself a cup of coffee from the still warm half-full pot that was left before he got started with making breakfast. Surprisingly, he wasn't as hungry as he thought he would be after skipping dinner. He decided to go stick with an egg and cheese sandwich.

"Morning." Cinder said with a yawn as she stumbled into the kitchen.

"Morning." He replied as he handed her a plate with an egg sandwich for her. That sat at the table to enjoy their breakfast.

"What time are we heading to Koal's?" she asked.

"We will probably be leaving her within the hour." He replied with a glance at the wall clock.

After breakfast, Cinder helped Adam with cleaning the kitchen before she went to get herself ready for the day. Adam took the time to get his two guitars and amp together. He slipped his acoustic into its case and propped it against the wall. He then retrieved the case containing his electric guitar from under his bed. He normally didn't play it that much. After he brushed some of the dust of the case; he placed it with his other guitar. He also retrieved his amp and hookups.

He gathered up his gear and meet Cinder in the kitchen.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yep." She replied with a nod.

He quickly slipped into the bathroom to brush his teeth before he slipped on his shoes and then they both made their way out to his car. While he placed his things in the back seat, Cinder got into the passenger seat. Once Adam was in and they were buckled up, they were soon on their way. Adam turned on the radio and before long, they were both singing along as they headed down the interstate. Surprisingly, there wasn't a whole lot of traffic on the roads. They made good timing and about twenty minutes later; they pulled into Koal's driveway.

The garage door was wide open. He made his way in and set his things down before knocking on the door. Koal opened the door.

"Damn, man." He said. "I didn't expect you to get here so early."

"You know me, I'm a morning person." Adam replied.

Koal waved them in and shut the door. Adam liked Koal's house; this was only like the third time he had been in it. It was much nicer than his own. They made their way up to Koal's room. No one seemed to be home; save for the Eevee that barked at them from the living room couch.

"Be quiet, Hailey." Koal said as they passed.

"So, where are you brothers?" Adam asked.

"They are out at a friend's place up the road." He replied. "Oh, I've got some more drawings to show you."

He dug into his book bag and fished out his sketch pad. He handed it to Adam before he went across the hall to get ready for the day. Adam sat in one of the chairs in Koal's room and flipped through the sketch book. Most of the drawings consisted of characters from the story Koal was writing. The rest were nature sketches. A few were of Pokémon including Lucario. Cinder looked at them over his shoulder.

"Wow, he is an amazing artist." She said.

"I know." Adam replied. "I'm a bit envious of his drawing skills."

"What did you think?" Koal asked as he entered the room.

"You're a hell of a good sketcher." Adam admitted. "I see that your characters are getting more and more realistic with anatomy."

"Yea, my art teacher said the same thing."

"Soo, did Chase ever say about what time he would be here?"

"He probably won't be here for another hour or two."

"Damn, I did get here early."

"I know, right?"

"So, what do you want to do to pass the time?"

"We could spar like old times if you're up to it."

"I guess we could."

The two friends made their way outside. Koal started for the backyard and Adam followed him. Koal's Lucario was sitting cross-legged in a patch of sunlight with its eyes closed. Cinder went and sat near it while Koal and Adam got ready for their upcoming sparring match.

_"Hello, Cinder."_ Lucario said with his mind.

"Hey." She replied as she sat down in the sun.

_"So, Adam thinks he can take on Koal?"_

"Yea…I'm not a hundred percent sure as to what they are gonna do exactly…I mean, how do they spar."

_"Well, if it is anything like how Koal and I spar; they will probably be going at it in a mock fight by delivering body hits through kicking and punching. They try to avoid hitting in the face or below the belt to keep from seriously hurting each other…but then again, accidents do tend to happen."_

"So, they are actually hitting each other?"

_"Yes, but not with full force…enough to hurt a bit, but not hard enough to cause serious injuries."_

Cinder looked on, apprehensive as Koal and Adam removed there shoes, socks and shirts. They circled each other with fists raised; both looking for an opening to strike the one another. Suddenly, Adam rushed forward, hoping to connect a punch with Koal. Koal, on the other hand, was ready. He spun quickly to avoid Adam. As he dodged, he managed to land a kick across Adam's back, sending him to the ground.

Adam coughed and quickly got to his feet before Koal could land anymore hits on him. Koal tried to kick Adam in his side, but Adam managed to block before delivering two punches to Koal's chest before their momentum pulled them apart.

"Wow, you have gotten a lot quicker." Adam said.

"So have you…I am surprised." Koal replied.

The two closed in and began dealing blows to each other at close range. In the fury of punches, Koal ended up striking Adam on his jaw. Adam staggered backwards. Before Koal could say anything; Adam waved his hand and shook his head before closing in and landed three hits in quick secession on Koal's chest.

They went at it for several minutes. Suddenly, Koal threw several punches at Adams chest. While Adam brought his hands up to block; Koal delivered a kick to his side, knocking the wind out of him. Adam dropped to the ground clutching his side as he gasped for breath.

"I…I give." Adam gasped.

Cinder rushed over to Adam, afraid that he might be hurt.

"I'm fine…" he said. "I just got the wind knocked out of me…I just need a minute…to catch my breath." He managed to say.

"Sorry about that." Koal said as he helped Adam to his feet.

"Nah…don't worry about it…That was a good match." He replied shaking Koal's hand.

They decided to relax for the remaining time while they waited for Chase to arrive. They didn't have to wait too long. Chase arrived roughly thirty minutes later. Once they had their greetings; they decided to head to the garage to play for a little while. Chase set up is drum set and Koal and Adam set up their guitars and amps.

"Alright." Adam said once they were set up. "What song are we going to start with?"  
>"How about <em>"I Come Alive"<em>?" Chase asked.  
>"I'm up for it." Koal admitted.<p>

"Same here." Adam added.

Once they were all in agreement; they got in position and started. Adam took over as lead singer while Koal and Chase sang backup.

_Breathing in, now._

_I try counting my blessings..._

_Picturing the last time I fed._

_Beg forgiveness, with some words that mean nothing..._

_Illusions like smoke in my breath._

_I come alive, when I'm falling down._

_I left myself, cold... Until I hit the ground._

_When I'm there, at the edge in this moment I'm feeling alone._

_I come alive, when I'm falling down._

_Air is thin now, while my Lungs are collapsing._

_Vertical blankets hit my hair. (My Hair)_

_Far from reckless, when I'm comfortable far from that,_

_I know I could never forget. (Never Forget)_

_I come alive, when I'm falling down._

_I left myself, cold... Until I hit the ground._

_When I'm there, at the edge in this moment I'm feeling alone._

_I come alive, when I'm falling down._

_(Down...)_

_Keep your distance, far away from me. What's this eating me alive?_

_Keep your distance, far away from me. What's this in me alive?_

Adam released a really creepy and hysterical laugh that made Cinder shiver.

_I come alive, when I'm falling down._

_I left myself, cold... Until I hit the ground._

_When I'm there, at the edge in this moment I'm feeling Alone._

_I come alive, when I'm falling down._

_I come alive._

_I come alive._

_I come alive._

_I come alive._

_I come alive._

_Yeah!_

_Yeah!_

_Yeah!_

Once they finished, Adam turned to them and smiled.

"Guys…I think we still got it." He said. Chase and Koal agreed

"We are going to have to go local with this." Chase added.

"Yes we are." Koal added.

"Then it's settled." Adam concluded. "But I think we need to practice a little bit more."

They laughed and cheered before they continued with their jam session.

_**Next Chapter: Of Music and Arguments**_

* * *

><p>Songs: The Used - I Come Alive<p> 


	7. Ch 7: Of Music and Arguments

_**Chapter 7: Of Music and Arguments**_

And so the day came where Adam, Chase, and Koal were set to perform live in a local bar. It was a nice little restaurant/bar called Spunky McDougals that Adam had been too several times; even though he wasn't old enough to drink. The food was good on the other hand and he was a regular so he knew a lot of the workers. There were a few hours left before they were set to play.

"Are you about ready to go?" Adam asked Cinder as he fastened his belt. He wasn't really wearing anything special; just an old pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt. He was also wearing an arrowhead that Cinder had found had found one day while they were hiking around his neck.

"Just about" Cinder replied. She finished brushing her fur and sprayed on little bit of a special Pokémon grade perfume Adam had gotten for her the last time he bought her care-products. She tied on her red bandana and Adam helped her put on the gold necklace he had given her for Christmas.

Once they had gotten dressed Adam loaded up his instruments and amp in his car before heading back inside to see if he had missed anything. He grabbed his wallet and phone which he slipped into his pocket and grabbed his keys. His mom was in the kitchen.

"Alright, we're heading out." He said. "Probably won't be in until after dark."

"We won't be here, remember?" she replied. "Me and Johnnie are going out of town for a couple of days. There is that motorcycle rally going on in Myrtle Beach and we were going out there for the weekend."

"That's right…I remember now." He replied. "Well, you guys be careful out there." He added giving her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"You be careful also." She replied.

"I will." He said before he slipped on his shoes and headed out the door.

Both him and Cinder climbed into his car and buckled up before he pulled out the drive and they were on their way. It was a typical Friday night, so Spunky's would probably have a good number of people there getting a few drinks or eating out. It was only a fifteen minute drive there so they arrived in no time.

Adam parked around back and gathered up his equipment before they made their way in through the back door. It was only 5:00 and people were already there getting in a few drinks after work. Adam made his way over to the stage they had set up for open-mic nights. Chase was already there setting up his drums.

"Hey, glad you made it." Adam said as he set his things down and started setting up.

"You know I wouldn't miss this for all the tournaments in the world." Chase replied.

"Did Koal say what time he would get here?"

"He should be here soon."

Chase was right. Koal arrived a few minutes later and set up his guitar also. After everything was set up; they made their way over to the bar where they managed to find some seat and they ordered a drinks. With there still being an hour before show time, they went ahead and ate a small dinner also to hold them over till after the show. Once they had eaten, Chase, Koal, and Adam made their way to the stage while Cinder sat not too far off with Chase's Absol and Koal's Lucario.

As the clock ticked closer to show time; Adam grew a little nervous. They hadn't really played many live shows and the ones they did were just neighborhood performances. This was going to be once of their bigger gigs yet. More and more people filed in to get a beer and most decided to stick around and see how this local unnamed band would be. Finally; it was time to start.

"Alright, everyone…how are you all doing tonight?" he called over the mic. There were a fair number of cheers that dame from around the room. "Well, we are gonna do something tonight that we haven't done a whole lot." He continued. "This is the first time we have ever played a gig this scale; but we plan on giving you guys on hell of a show." More cheers erupted from the crowd.

"Now tonight, we will be playing just a mix of songs. Mostly will be rock, but we may even play a few country to slow things down at times. We will have a box set up were you can submit requests. When we take a break, we will look through the requests and see which ones we can get out for you. Now, enough of all this petty rambling. It's time to rock." On that note, they immediately went into their first song.

"_Little supernovas in my head._

_Little soft pulses in my dead._

_Little souvenirs and secrets shared._

_Little off guard and unprepared."_

"_I was never good enough to find._

_I was never bad enough to mind._

_In the middle I will do my best._

_Take me in your arms and leave the rest."_

"_I will give you anything to…"_

"_Say you want to stay, you want me to._

_Say you'll never die, you'll always haunt me._

_I want to know I belong to you._

_Say you'll haunt me."_

"_Together, together we'll be together, together forever."_

"_Little variations on my page._

_Little doors open on my cage._

_Little time has come and gone so far._

_Little by little who you are."_

"_I can see the patterns on your face._

_I can see the miracles I trace._

_Symmetry in shadows I can't hide."_

"_I JUST WANT TO BE RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE!"_

"_I will give you everything to…"_

"_Say you want to stay you want me too._

_Say you'll never die, you'll always haunt me._

_I want to know I belong to you._

_Say you'll haunt me."_

"_Say you want to stay you want me too._

_Say you'll never die, you'll always haunt me._

_I want to know I belong to you._

_Say you'll haunt me."_

"_Together, together we'll be together, together forever."_

"_I BELONG TO YOU!"_

"_Together, together we'll be together, together forever."_

"_I BELONG TO YOU!"_

They went into their solo where they each seemed to show off a little of how well they could play.

"_Little supernovas in my head._

_Little soft pulses in my dead._

_Little souvenirs and secrets shared._

_Little of guard and unprepared."_

"_I will give you anything to…_

_I will give you everything to…"_

"_Say you want to stay you want me too._

_Say you'll never die you'll always haunt me._

_I want to know I belong to you._

_Say you'll haunt me."_

"_Say you want to stay you want me too._

_Say you'll never die you'll always haunt me._

_I want to know I belong to you._

_Say you'll haunt me."_

"_Together, together we'll be together, together forever."_

"_I BELONG TO YOU!"_

"_Together, together we'll be together, together forever."_

"_I BELONG TO YOU!"_

Cheers erupted from the room. Adam smile to the Chase and Koal. He wasn't nervous anymore. Now that they had gotten over the first hump; they had it set.

"Alright…" Adam said. "That was a little bit of a newer song so now we are gonna take you back and play a classic." Adam went into a steady intro. Almost instantly several people started cheering.

"_On a dark desert highway,_

_cool wind in my hair._

_Warm smell of colitas,_

_rising up through the air."_

"_Up ahead in the distance,_

_I saw a shimmering light._

_My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim._

_I had to stop for the night."_

"_There she stood in the doorway._

_I heard the mission bell._

_And I was thinking to myself:"_

'_This could be Heaven or this could be Hell.'"_

"_Then she lit up a candle_

_and she showed me the way._

_There were voices down the corridor._

_I thought I heard them say…"_

"_Welcome to the Hotel California._

_Such a lovely place._

_(Such a lovely place.)_

_Such a lovely face._

_Plenty of room at the Hotel California._

_Any time of year._

_(Any time of year.)_

_You can find it here."_

"_Her mind is Tiffany-twisted,_

_she got the Mercedes Benz._

_She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys,_

_that she calls friends."_

"_How they dance in the courtyard,_

_sweet summer sweat._

_Some dance to remember,_

_some dance to forget."_

"_So I called up the Captain,_

'_Please bring me my wine.'_

_He said, 'we haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine'_

_And still those voices are calling from far away._

_Wake you up in the middle of the night._

_Just to hear them say…"_

"_Welcome to the Hotel California._

_Such a lovely place._

_(Such a lovely place.)_

_Such a lovely face._

_They're livin' it up at the Hotel California._

_What a nice surprise._

_(What a nice surprise.)_

_Bring your alibis."_

"_Mirrors on the ceiling_

_The pink champagne on ice._

_And she said 'we are all just prisoners here, of our own device.'_

_And in the master's chambers_

_They gathered for the feast._

_They stab it with their steely knives_

_But they just can't kill the beast."_

"_Last thing I remember, I was_

_Running for the door._

_I had to find the passage back_

_To the place I was before._

_'Relax,' said the night man._

'_We are programmed to receive._

_You can check out any time you like_

_But you can never leave.'"_

They went into a long solo. When they finished; the entire room exploded with cheers, yells, and whistles. Adam was beaming with joy. They played several more song before they decided to take a break. They took the time to look through the request box. It wasn't packed, but there were more requests then Adam thought there would be. They picked out several of the best ones and returned to the stage to play fill them.

The first one was a country song. The next two were classic rock. The one after those was a newer rock song. They continued to play requests until they needed another break. People kept approaching them and telling them how well they played. Adam even got a few phone numbers from some girls but he crumpled them up when they girls weren't looking because Cinder was giving him an angry look.

"Man, they love us." Chase said while they were on break.

"Yea, and look at all these requests we are getting." Koal added. Adam reached in and pulled a request from the box. Just then, Cinder walked up. Adam looked at the request.

"Well, we can't play this one." He said and started to toss it aside.

"Why not?" Cinder asked.

"It calls for a duet with a female singer and I don't think Chase want's to sing in that high a pitch." He replied with a little laugh.

"I'll sign the part." She replied. Adam was throw off by here offer.

"Are you sure you want to?" he asked. She nodded. "Alright, well, if you really want to…I won't stop you."

They all got a quick drink before making their way back to the stage. Cinder took up a mic next to Adam. Adam heard spots of laughing come from the crowd.

"Alight folks…we are gonna play one more song. Now, this is Cinder and she will be helping me with this song." There was a more scatter laughs and he even though he heard someone say: "You're joking, right?" They took their placed and Adam started with a short simple intro.

_[Cinder] "Nobody listens to me,_

_Don't hear a single thing Iv'e said,_

_Say anything to me,_

_Anything to get you from my head._

_Don't know how I really feel,_

_the faith it takes to make like i don't care."_

"_Don't know how much it hurts_

_to turn around like you were never there_

_Like somehow you could be replaced_

_And I could walk away_

_from the promises we made_

_And swore we'd never break."_

_[Both] "I thought I lost you…"_

_[Cinder] "When you ran away to try to find me_

_I thought I'd never see your sweet face again_

_I turned around and you were gone and on and on_

_the days went_

_but I kept the moments that we were in_

_cause I hoped in my heart_

_you'd come back to me, my friend_

_And now I got you_

_But I thought I lost you!"_

_[Adam] "I felt so empty out there_

_And there were days I had my doubts_

_But I knew I'd find you somewhere_

_Because I knew I couldn't live without_

_You in my life for one more day_

_And I swore I'd never break_

_Those promises we made!"_

_[Both] "I thought I lost you_

_When you ran away to try to find me_

_I thought I'd never see your sweet face again_

_I turned around and you were gone and on and on_

_the days went_

_but I kept the moments that we were in_

_Cause I hoped in my heart_

_you'd come back to me, my friend_

_and now I got you_

_But I thought I lost you!"_

_[Adam] "I told myself I wouldn't sleep_

_Till I searched the world from sea to sea…"_

_[Cinder] "I made a wish upon a star_

_I turned around and there you were"_

_[Both] "Now here we are, are_

_Here we are."_

_[Cinder] "I thought I lost you."_

_[Adam] "I thought I lost you too."_

_[Cinder] "I thought I lost you."_

_[Adam] "I thought I lost you."_

_Yeah_

_[Both] "I thought I lost you_

_When you ran away to try to find me_

_I thought I'd never see your sweet face again_

_I turned around and you were gone and on and on_

_the days went_

_but I kept the moments that we were in_

_Cause I knew in my heart_

_you'd come back to me, my friend_

_And, now I got you_

_But I thought I lost you!"_

_[Cinder] "But I thought I lost you."_

_[Adam] "I thought I lost you too."_

_[Both] "So glad I got you, got you."_

_[Cinder] "So glad I got you, yeah…._

_I thought I lost you."_

_[Adam] "I thought I lost you too."_

There was a deafening roar as the crowd cheered, hollered, screamed, and shouted when the song finished. Adam thanked the crowd before they started breaking down their setup. Everyone wanted to come up and shake their hands; most of them wanted to meet Cinder up close. It wasn't every day that you met a talking Pokémon.

It was almost an hour before they managed to slip out the back and stow their instruments in their vehicles.

"Damn, guys…that was amazing." Chase said. "Especially you two." He added looking at Adam and Cinder. "You guys blew that last song outta the water."

"Yea, Cinder…I didn't know you could sing like that." Koal added. Adam noticed the inside of Cinder's ears turned a light reddish-pink tint; which was her way of blushing.

"It was nothing you guys." She replied. "You played well also."

They took a few minutes to say their goodbyes before leaving. Chase and Koal soon departed but Adam and Cinder made their way back inside so Adam could pay their tab. There were still a large number of people who insisted on meeting them, but Adam promptly and firmly stated that they need to leave.

Adam approached the bar and called to Gen, the bartender. After she finished with an order, she made her way down to him.

"You guys really rocked it." She said.

"It was nothing…" Adam shrugged. "I'm ready to pay the tab so we can leave."

"You don't have to pay…it's on the house." She replied. Adam was taken aback.

"Wait…what? That's like a $50 dollar tab."

"Nah…it's on the house." She insisted. "With that show you did, we had more customers stay longer and therefore spent more on drinks and food. I say you have more than paid off for your tab."

"Oh…Alright then…thanks." He replied.

"No problem, just don't let Sharol know about this. She would raise some serious hell over it."

"I won't."

He and Cinder turned and left out the back door. They hadn't gone more than a few feet before there was a voice behind them. They turned to see the one person they had not expected to see; Cinder's old trainer.

"Well, that was certainly something else." He said with a sneer. "Looks like you are still going on with all that worthless talking shit."

"I can do what I damn well please." Cinder snapped. "You are no longer my trainer anymore; you can't tell me what the hell I can and can't do."

"Wha…what did you just say to me?" He asked.

"You heard me." She growled. "Now do us a favor and go fuck yourself."

Adam was speechless. He had never her Cinder talk like that. She very rarely swore around him regularly; but the hear her go off like this…he never expected it.

"Why you fucking BITCH!" the man roared and made a move towards her. Adam rushed forward and struck him in the stomach, making him double over, before he uppercut the man in the face. The man fell back on the ground. Adam quickly pinned him to the ground.

"I don't think so." He said. The man struggled to get free.

"GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!" he shouted.

"No, I don't think I will…Not until I- "His words were cut short as the man struck him with a rock he had grabbed from the ground. Adam fell off of him; blood streaming from a gash above his left eye. The man got to his feet and kicked Adam sharply in his side while he was still dazed. He drew back to strike him again.

"No you don't!" Cinder snarled as she slammed into him. The man was thrown a few feet where he hit a large trashcan. He shook his head and staggered to his feet.

"Oh…you are so going to get it." He said as he picked up a metal piece of pipe from beside the trashcan. "I'm going to enjoy beating the shit out of you just like the good old days."

He rushed forward with the pipe raises up high ready to club her with it. Cinder stood her ground. It felt as if every fide in her body was on fire and years of hatred and rage and begun to rush to the surface. She bared he teeth and her paws clenched tightly into fists. The man swung at her. She ducked under his arm and delivered a powerful and well-aimed Fire Punch directly to his gut.

The man fell to the ground clutching a burnt section on his torso. He gasped and pain. Cinder stood over him and could help but laugh to herself when she saw the pure fear he showed. She got close to his face.

"Now, I don't want to ever see you again." She said in a sinister tone. "Or it will be worse…much, much worse."

The man managed to get to his feet where he stumbled away as fast as he could; the smell of singed hair and burnt flesh clinging to him. Cinder turned to Adam who was slowing getting to his feet, still in a daze. She rushed over to help him. Once he was to his feet, she broke down and flung her arms around him and sobbed into his chest. Adam did his best to comfort her. After a few minutes she looked up and his brusied and bloodied face. Before she could say anything, he pulled her close and kissed her passionately. They remained there for several minutes before they made their way back to Adam's car; eager to get home to rest their sore and tired bodies.

_**Next Chapter: Burning Desire - The Conclusion to You Belong With Me**_

* * *

><p>Songs: Stone Sour - Say You'll Haunt Me<p>

The Eagles - Hotel California

Miley Cyrus feat. John Travolta - I Thought I Lost You


	8. Ch 8: Burning Desire

Chapter 8: Burning Desire

It was early that morning when Adam decided that he would take Cinder out for a nice long day at the park. So, before his alarm even went off; Adam turned it off so it wouldn't wake Cinder. He then went into the kitchen and got to work on getting a small picnic together. Once the food was prepared and all together; he packed anything else they may need into a backpack and made sure to check that everything was secure and ready. He then went to wake Cinder.

He quietly made his way into his room. Cinder was peacefully asleep in bed. He lay on his side next to her; his head propped on his hand, and he watched her sleep. He watched the slow rise and fall of her chest that followed the steady rhythm of her quiet breathing. Her eyes rolled gently under her eyelids. Adam smiled and gently touched her cheek. Cinder moaned softly and opened her eyes slowly. She smiled lightly when she looked up at him.

"Good morning." He said softly.

"Morning." She replied slowly stretching her sleeping limbs.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yea…was dreaming there a little in the end, but I still got a good night's sleep."

"That's good."

"Why do you say that? Is something happening?"

"I had planned on taking you down to the park. You know, just enjoy the day."

"That sounds fun. When are we leaving?"

"Soon."

"Soon? It's not even daylight yet."

"I know. But it will be by the time we get to the park."

"But it's not that far away."

"We aren't going to drive there. We are going to walk there."

"Walk?"

"Yea…it's not that bad. I use to do it all the time. Should only take about thirty minutes."

"Alright. That's not too bad."

"No, it's not that bad. We will go right after you wake up and we have breakfast."

He gave her a quick kiss before he got up and made his way back to the kitchen and got started with a simple breakfast; something light yet filling. Cinder soon made her way into the kitchen. Adam glanced at her. He couldn't help but notice that something was different about her. She almost seemed to have a light glow to her. If anything; it drew out the color of her fur, a light copper and golden blond mix.

They were done with their breakfast in no time and as soon as they had cleaned the kitchen, they were ready to go. Adam slipped on his hiking boots and gathered up the picnic basket and his pack before following Cinder out the door. There was not a whole lot of traffic on the roads with it being early still, so they decided to just follow the roads instead of trying to take any shortcuts or anything.

Few birds were already awake, ready to greet the sun with their songs. An orange glow slowly began to grow in the East on the horizon. Everything was calm and peacefully. Cinder walked next to Adam but her thoughts were elsewhere. She couldn't help but think about the dream she had just that night.

_She was wandering along the trails at the park. Adam strolled casually with her. They walked for several minutes before Adam smiled at her and took off running through the woods. She soon caught up with him and they ran along together, laughing as they did._

_Before long, they rushed into a small clearing. They collapsed in a small patch of soft grass. Breathing heavily, they both looked at each other and smiled. Suddenly, Adam wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her next to him before he began to kiss her passionately. She was briefly thrown off but the sudden show of emotion but soon she was returning the kiss just as affectionately._

_ The two parted and decided to lie there peacefully, gazing up at the clear sky. Adam still had his arm around her, holding her next to him while he stroked her side slowly with his free hand. The simple gesture was something Cinder enjoyed immensely. She loved Adam and was glad to have him in her life and love her equally. _

_ He suddenly brought his hand up to her chin and he slowly turned her face towards his. He smiled softly before kissing her again._

_ "Cinder, I love you." He said. "With all my heart; and I will always love you. For as long as I am breathing, I will be right here with you. I will go anywhere for you, do anything for you. Just as long as you are by my side and are happy, then I too will be happy."_

_ His words caused her eyes to tear up. She sniffed and quickly wiped them before she kissed him in return. When their lips parted, she admitted that there was one thing that she wanted him do to for her, something that she had been wanting him to do for some time now._

_ Adam nodded with a smile saying he would do anything for her as long as it made her happy. She nodded saying it would. He then slipped off his shirt and positioned himself above her. He then began to kiss her neck in such a way that it sent waves of pleasure through her very being. _

_ He asked in a whisper if this was what she truly wanted in which she replied with airy yes before he continued. Suddenly, everything began to fade in and out and she found herself lying in Adam's bed._

"Cinder?" Adam's voice suddenly called out. She came to her senses and looked at him questioningly. "I asked if you were alright?"

"Huh?...Oh, yea. I'm fine." She replied quickly. "Just daydreaming."

Adam decided not to press the matter. He had noticed she had been spacing out a lot more than usual. He had also noticed that she had been acting differently lately. She would often stare at him and would look away blushing is he met her gaze. She was hiding something. It seemed like she wanted to tell him something but she couldn't find the words. He was starting to get ideas about what thoughts she might have had on her mind judging by her actions and emotions lately; but again, he decided not to press the matter.

They made good timing and reached the park a lot sooner than Adam had expected. Upon arrival, they set out on the many hiking trails. The hours began to melt as did the miles they walked. Adam noticed that Cinder was zoned out again, lost in her thoughts. He decided that they would take a break.

"Cinder, is there something you want to talk about?" he asked calmly after a few minutes. She looked at him as if confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked. He gave her a more serious look. She could not meet his gaze and looked off. Her suddenly grabbed her paws and took them lightly causing her to look at him.

"Cinder…I am here for you." He said holding her paws in his hands. "If there is anything bothering you, anything you want to talk about…anything at all; I want to help you in any way that I can. But you just need to talk to me."

She held her gaze with his but could not find the words to say.

"Please, Cinder." He said in almost a pleading tone. "Please, don't keep me in the dark like this. Has something happened that I should know about?"

She looked away a little and said nothing.

"Have I done something to upset you?" His voice cracked slightly.

Again, she said nothing.

"Cinder, please tell me." His begged, tears forming. "Whatever it is…please, please just tell me. Is it something I have done? Something I should have done?"

His words brought tears to her eyes. It wasn't the fact that he was being so demanding, but the fact that she had upset him by forcing him to think that he had done something to hurt her. It was the first time she had truly seen Adam cry.

"NO!" she cried out, tears spilling down her cheeks. "No, no…it's not you." She began to sob lightly. Adam wrapped his arms around her and did his best to comfort her. "It's not your fault." She said lightly in his ear.

He held her in his arms and rubbed her back slowly. He figured it would be best to quit talking and let cinder say what was needed to be said. She cried for a little more until she sniffed and pulled away.

"I am sorry, Adam." She said sincerely. "I never meant to make you feel like this. I just…I just didn't know how to talk to you about it."

"It's okay…and I'm sorry too." He replied. "I let my emotions get the best of me. I was an idiot to do that." She smiled and placed a paw on his cheek.

"Yes, but you are my idiot." She said with a light chuckle. Her response made him smile. She leaned in and kissed him gently before whispering. "I love you, Adam."

"I love you too, Cinder." He replied.

"No…I mean I love you." She stated. "Lately, I've been having strong feeling towards you. I couldn't find the reason why at first, but I think I understand now. I love you. I want to be with you. I finally realized that I am happiest when you are there with me."

Adam didn't stop or interrupt her. She had been holding back for soo long; he was not about to make her wait any longer.

"When I am happy, you are there to share my joy. When I am sad, you are there to comfort me. And when I am in danger, you are always there to protect me. I finally understand it all now. Adam, I want to be your mate…both in body and in soul."

Adam was stunned. He had is suspicions that she had these intentions, but he never really expected to hear her put it in such a way that moved everything in him right down the his very essence.

"Cinder…" he started but stopped. Now it was Adam's turn to be tongue tied.

"Adam, I don't care if you're a human. I don't care if others will frown upon us. I really don't. I just what to spend my life with you…to be happy and bring joy into your life. To be there like you were always there for me."

Adam wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. He did this so she couldn't see him wipe his eyes. He then looked her in the eyes before kissing her with such a tender and love filled kiss that it surpassed the others.

"I love you, Cinder…and nothing would make me happier….than to have _you_ as my mate."

Cinder wrapped her in a hug like tackle that caused him to fall backwards. She smothered him with kisses happy to have finally confessed her true feelings as well as have Adam feel the same way.

After all the "drama" was over; they then noticed how hungry they actually were. They decided to eat lunch. They were on high. Their love was strong and the day was beautiful. Nothing could spoil the moment, or so they thought.

As Cinder took a sip from her water bottle, she felt something hit her paw…then her arm. She looked up as a drop of rain landed on her nose. Adam looked up as well. The once clear and sunny sky was now filling with clouds and starting to turn an ominous grey. Adam and Cinder quickly packed up their picnic as more drops started to fall.

"Let's go." Adam said and the two of them headed for home as fast as they could.

Adam hoped that it would rain lightly until they got home, but alas it was not to be. The sky opened up and released a downpour on them. Adam cursed himself for not driving them to the park instead of walking. Suddenly he came to a stop. Cinder hesitated as she stopped and looked at him.

"What's wrong?" she panted.

"I know a short cut." He explained. "It's this way." With that, he took off down a small trail in the woods and Cinder followed closely behind. The ground splattered with each footfall and it seemed like the rain was falling even harder. Somewhere in the distance a loud clap of thunder boomed.

Adam's side hurt, but he was not about to stop.

"We're almost there." He managed to say between each painful breath. He was right. They soon burst through a bush. They were at the end of his street. They ran up the road as fast as their sore and tired limbs would carry them.

As they sprinted across the yard, Adam fished his keys out of his pocket. He almost slipped in the mud as he reached the steps to the door. Taking two at a time, Adam rushed to the top and opened the door as fast as he could. He closed the door behind them and slowly sank to the floor.

It felt as if his lungs were on fire. Every breath sent pain through his cheat. Cinder's breathing also was labored for she had never run so fast for so long in her life. The two sat there for several minutes catching their breath before Adam got to his feet. He helped Cinder up to hers.

It was then that Adam noticed just how soaked and muddy they were. His wet clothes hugged him like bandages and his jeans were spattered with mud. Cinder was no better off. Her fur was waterlogged and mud stuck to her fur like Velcro.

Adam laughed and Cinder looked at him, confused.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"You're a mess." He replied.

"You're not sunshine and daises yourself." She replied with a chuckle.

"Go ahead and take a shower first." Adam said. "I'll clean up the mess we made and put our things away." She agreed giving him a brief kiss before heading off to the bathroom. Adam cleaned up the water and mud they had tracked in trying to not make more of a mess with his clothes being as they were. He then put their picnic up before heading to his room.

He stripped down to his boxers, which were not as wet as he thought they would be. He tossed his sopping wet clothes into his hamper with a solid "thump" before he sat on the edge of his bed. He shivered lightly as a draft chilled him.

It wasn't long before Cinder entered the room. She was clean and her fur was void of the mud that once soiled it. Adam didn't want to move…his tired limbs seemed like they almost groaned in protest as he stood. He shivered again.

Cinder noticed this and she gave him a warm hug. Adam was surprised that her fur was already dry. He remembered her explaining it once how her eternal body temperature could rise to help her dry off more quickly.

Adam did not want their embrace to end. The warmth and softness of Cinder's body seemed to attract him like a magnet would metal. They held each other for several minutes. Cinder's mind started to hatch a plan. They had already declared that they loved one another but she thought that it was time that they proved it; and she was not gonna wait on Adam to make the first move.

Suddenly, she pushed him back onto the bed.

"Cinder…wha…what are you doing?" he asked.

"I think you know what I intend on doing." She said in an alluring voice. She positioned herself on top of him and pressed her mouth to his. Her tongue pressed against his lips, begging for entrance. Finally, Adam gave in and allowed her tongue to mingle with his own.

Adam suddenly rolled Cinder over onto her back so that now she was on top. Her tongue explored every inch of his mouth that it could reach and he did likewise in return. When they took a moment to breathe Adam whispered.

"Are you sure you want to go through this now?"

She nodded intently with a faint smile and it was then when Adam noticed that she had already somehow managed to work his boxers off of him. His raging erection rested on her soft belly. With her agreement, Adam returned to kissing her. He soon began to kiss her on her neck and along her collarbone. At the same time, Adam used a free hand to caress her body gently. Cinder trembled lightly at his touch with each small wave of pleasure that racked her body.

Finally, she could not wait any longer.

"Please, do not tease me anymore." She breathed as she impatiently rubbed her body against his.

Adam cursed himself for making her making her wait like he was. He quickly positioned himself so that the tip of his cock hovered at the ready to make the first plunge. Adam gave her one last look. She nodded lightly stating that she was ready.

Adam pushed forward, causing Cinder to cry out lightly as he slowly sank into her depths. Once she had taken him full hilt, he waited momentarily, long enough to give him a reassuring kiss before he began to slowly move his hips back and forth.

It was unlike anything she had ever experienced. With every movement Adam made came a new wave of pleasure that rippled down to her core. She began to move with him, making the intensity of the sensation grow. He kept a steady pace and kissed her neck hoping to give her even more pleasure.

Adam soon started to pick up speed. Cinder panted in unison with each thrust as it sent more and more waves of pleasure through her. Adam winced lightly and Cinder soon realized that she had begun to dig her claws into his back. He gave her a quick glance saying not to worry as he continued to declare his love for her.

Finally, they had both reached their peak and soon let the pure bliss of their love sweep them away. After a few seconds, Adam sank down beside her. Their breathing was clearly audible over the pounding of the rain on the roof. Adam smiled at Cinder, and then became shocked when he saw a few tears rolling down her cheek. He quickly wiped them away.

"What's wrong?" he asked worried." She gave him a reassuring smile.

"Nothing…" she replied. "These tears are of pure joy." He smiled. "Don't worry. I thought you performed excellently." She added with a giggle. Adam laughed and kissed his new mate.

It was official. With their session a declaration of their love towards one another, they were now mates. They snuggled together in the warm afterglow of their lovemaking; happy to be with one another and knowing that there was no other place that they would rather be.


End file.
